Gas-engine-governing mechanism.



P. J. HOLM, DECD. o. 0.51 J. H. HOLM, EXECIUTOBS. GAS ENGINE GOVERNING MECHANISM. APPLICATION IILBD NOV. 20', 1011.

Patented June 9, 191% 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A'IIIIIIIIII 111114 IHII UNITED STATEE OFFICE.

PETER J. I-IOLM, DECEASED, BY CHARLOTTE C. I'IOLM AND JOHN H. HOLM EXECUTORS, OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS TO WESTERN MACHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN. A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

GAS-ENGINE-GOVERNING MECHANISM.

To all '11)]L0I7Z2ifi may ('onrem Be it known that we, CHARLOTTE C. Hem; and Jonn H. HoLM, citizens of the United States, residing at Eau Claire, in the county of Eau Claire and State of Wisconsin, and executors of the last will of PETER J. HoLM, declare that the said PETER J. HoLM did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engine-Governing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates generally to governing mechanism for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to mechanism in which both the exhaust valve and the timer, which controls the explosion of the fuel charge, are utilized in controlling the combustion in the engine cylinder.

The principal object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the class described, which will bring about economy in consumption of fuel and electricity, while at the same time being simple in construction, positive in action, readily and nicely adjustable to suit the requirements of operation and to take up the natural. wear of the Parts, and applicable to engines having either push cam rods or lever cam rods.

The character of the invention will be best understood upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In. the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates an engine of the type in question, having governing mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the centrifugal governor employed in such mechanism, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Fi a 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the gearing and associated parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4t is a central vertical section of the timer. Fig. 5 is, a transverse section of the same.

Throughout these figures, like characters refer to like parts.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 designates the engine bed upon which the cylinder 11 is secured and upon which the engine shaft 12 is journaled. The engine structure is well known in the art and is but partially illustrated. The engine cylinder is also provided with the usual valves, the exhaust valve 13 only being illustrated.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1911.

result of the rotation of the parts.

Patented June 9, 1914..

Serial No. 661,428.

This valve is controlled by the movable member 1-4; and the engine herein shown being of the lever cam rod type, this member is pivoted at an intermediate point 15 to the engine bed 10. The end of the lever 14;, ad jaceut to the exhaust valve 13, is provided with an adjusting stool 16 to take up play between the lever 1 1 and the exhaust valve stem, and the opposite end of the same lever is upturned so as to provide a bearing 1'7 for the roller 18. which cooperates with the actuuting cam 19 mounted upon the cam gear 20, meshing with the crank shaft pinion 21. The gear 90 also meshes with a pinion 22 which drives a governor oi suitable construction, the one herein shown being of the form disclosed and claimed in a prior application Serial No. 604,952, filed January 27, 1911. This governor comprises a stem 23 1'0- tatably mounted in. a bracket 24: which is fixed to the engine bed 10. The pinion 22 is secured upon one end of the stem 23, and upon the other end of said stem is fixed a housing 25 in which is a transversely slidable weight 26. A coiled spring 27, hearing in a socket in the weight 26 and provided with an adjusting screw 28, normally tends to hold the weight 26 in its innermost position. As illustrated in Fig. 2, this weight 26 is in its extreme outer position. It is brought to this position, as is well known, by the centrifugal force acting upon it as a As the weight 26 moves outward, its inclined face 26", bearing against the end of the pin 29, Forces the latter outward to swing the pivoted latch 30 into position to engage the cam lever l t. The latch 30 is supported in lugs 30 attached to the engine bed. An adjusting screw 31. enables the rod 29 to be adjusted relative to the latch 30 and the weight 26. A coiled spring 32, inclosed in a socket in the bracket 24, tends to hold the latch 30 out of its engaging position. Wear plates 33 and 34: may be provided upon the latch 30 and cam lever 141, respectively. The coiled spring 35, illustrated in Fig. 1, coacts with av fixed lug 36 on the bracket 24 and the cam lever 14 to maintain the cam roller 18 in engagement with the cam 19.

The essential Feature of the invention, taken by itself, and in combination with the other parts, is the timer by which the explosions oi? the charges in the engine cylinder are controlled. This timer includes the igniter pin 37 mounted upon and projecting outwardly from the cam 19, and the cooperating contact spring 38, which is secured at one end to an insulating block 39, mounted upon the bracket 40, extending from the upturned end of the cam lever 14. The contact spring 38 is connected to the block 39 bya threaded rod 41, which forms, with the nuts 42 and 43, a binding post for the reception of the end of the conductor 44, which extends to the battery or other source of electrical energy, and thence to the spark plug in the cylinder, the remaining portion of the circuit being completed through the gears and other metallic portions of the engine whenever the pin 37 and spring 38 are in engagement; The block 39 is provided with an-inclined upper face 45; and the contact spring 38, by its own inherent resiliency, lies away from this face, but may be adjusted' toward and from it by the adjusting screw 46, threaded into the block 39. In addition to this adjustment, the block 39 7 may also be adjusted relative to the bracket i 40 by means of the screw 47, threaded into the block 39 and extending through the slot 48 in the bracket 40. A thumb nut 49 enables the parts to be set and held in the desired position. It will be apparent that the contact spring38 may be variously adjusted with reference to the pin 37 so as to vary the time of theircontact in operation, as, forexample, to advance or retard the time or point of ignition with relation to the stroke of the piston.

.From the above description, it will be clear that in the normal operation of the engine, the cam 19 will regularly depress the adjacent portion of the cam lever 14 to oper ate the exhaust valve and that the timer will close the circuit for exploding the charge in the engine cylinder at the proper instant. Each complete revolution of the gear 20 will bring about one operation of the exhaust valve 13 and one closure of the timer circuit.

' During normal speeds, the centrifugal gov- 'erno-r will not interfere with this operation,

but if the speed of the engine increases beyond that for which the various parts have been set, the weight .26 will be thrust outward, with the result that the latch 30 will engage the cam lever 14, shown in .Fig. 2, and hold it so as to prevent its normal operation and in a position to keep the exhaust valve 13 open, so that each suction produced in the cylinder will not draw in more fuel, but will merely draw in. air through the open exhaust valve. This position of the cam lever 14 will also render the timer ineffective, inasmuch as the contact spring 38 will be held out of the path of movement of the ignite-r pin 37. So long as the engine speed is such as to keep the centrifugal governor latch 30 in such posigranted October'25, 1910. It will also'be apparent that many alterations and modifications may be made in the structure without departing from the-spirit and scope of the invention.- l ve, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise matter illustrated, but aim to cover all such alterations and modifications by the terms of the appended claims.

l/Ve claim as the invention of the said PETER J. HoLM:

1. An engine-governing mechanism including a cam, an exhaust controlling mem ber actuated by said cam, an igniter pin projecting from said cam, a bracket on said member, an insulating block on'said member having an inclined upper face, a contact spring secured to one end'of said block and lying above and out of engagement with said inclined face, and a screw extending through anopening in said spring into threaded engagement with said block to just said spring relative to said igniter pin.

2. Engine governing mechanism of the type described, including a cam, amember actuated by said cam, an igniter pin projecting from said cam,a bracket onisaid member, an insulating block on said bracket having an inclined upper face, a contact spring secured to one end of said block and lying above and out of engagement with said inclined face, a screw extending through an opening in said spring into threaded engagement with said block to ad just said spring relative to said igniter pin, and a second adjusting screw extending through a slotin said bracket into threaded engagement with said block to permit the longitudinal adjustment of the block and pri g- Intestimony whereof weehave hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

her CHARLOTTE X C. HOLM,

mark JOHN H. HOLM, Ewecutors of the last will of Peters]. H olm.

Witnesses:

CLARA ScHRoEDER, CHAS. SINGEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the fiommissioner of Patents;

Washington, D. G. 

